The Reaper's Power
by Malsyn
Summary: Naruto has died, and his soul stolen away to the Soul Society. They want him for a weapon, due to the beast that had lived inside of him. Now, he must begin life anew as a Soul reaper, with powerful, and ancient Zanpakuto spirit at his side.
1. Chapter 1

**OMG! I'm not dead! Wow, how long's it been, like, three months since I've updated? I think that's about right. In any case, Soragakure will be going on hiatus, until I can figure out where I was going with it, and Strings That Bind Us will be updating soon, perhaps, this weekend. Don't let me forget! Now, on to this new story! I've had this idea in my head since I first started posting here, and I'd been putting the idea off for my other stories, one of which is likely going to be Epic length, and another that I've been having a hard time writing. Feature Naruto, and will be taking place in the Bleech universe. While I can't give you all the details as to how he is there, I can at least tell you that in my story, the Elemental countries and the Earth from Bleach are two separate worlds, upon to separate dimensions. !Note! The begging part may be a bit unpleasant, this is just a warning beforehand. Now, enjoy, and please, Read and Review! ...Ultrasound, by Johnny Massacre

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach.  
**

* * *

**Title: The Reaper's Power**

** Chapter: Death, and Rebirth**

* * *

It was sunny out, yet clouds on the distance told of a coming storm. The only sound was a waterfall, crashing down into a river below. Two large statues stood on either side, facing each other. This area was famously known as the Valley of the End. The normally peaceful site was stained with the fighting occurring on the surface of the river below. Two young boys, who were once comrades, were fighting each other using all their power. One, a blond haired boy with lightly tanned skin, was covered by a powerful, evil energy. An energy, that was commonly referred to in this land as Chakra.

They yelled out their attacks, and exchanged blows, ultimately leading them to spots on the two famous statues of Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha. The blond haired boy landed upon the statue of Hashirama, and his friend, now turned enemy, Sasuke Uchina, stood atop the statue of Madara. They stared each other down, their glares filled with anger, and hatred. The area around them seemed to deaden, and become silent. The Uchina boy appeared to explode with power, as his body changed shape, growing large wings from his back, and his color changing from it's pale texture, to something monstrous.

Black light formed in the boy's hands, and the sound of birds flying away as they were driven off by the dark energy. Across from him, Naruto was forming a spinning ball of blue Chakra. It appeared in his hand, formed from the malicious, red energy that covered the boy like a cloak. They yelled out their attacks, and dived for one another. "Rasengan!" The blond called. "Chidori!" Yelled the Uchina. Their attacks met, and the two endured a brief power struggle, that resulted in a large, powerful explosion.

When the bright light had faded, the blond fell fast, blood flying out from a wound on his chest as he fell toward the side of the river. His limp frame hit the ground with a resounding crack, and rolled several feet before coming to a stop. The raven haired Uchina landed next to him, and let his form return to normal. He hesitated, and slowly inched over to where the boy lie. Trails of blood leaked from the chest wound, and stained the ground crimson. Sasuke stopped moving towards where his comrade lay, when he saw the blue eyes, that had once exploded with the spark of life, were a flat dull hue.

He knew he was dead. He didn't need to check his pulse to confirm that. Yet, the power he had expected to come, his Mangekyō Sharingan, had not come. Why did it not come? He asked himself. Why have I not yet been given my power? He gazed down at the corpse, and, for a brief moment, felt regret for what he had just done. However, he crushed that regret the moment it appeared, with all of his anger he felt for the blond boy. He suffocated that regret with how he felt when the boy had shown himself to be more powerful. He forgot about that regret, the moment he remembered how much he hated his former friend that lay at his feet.

Sasuke felt pride when he finally saw what he had done. He had done it! He had killed the demon boy! Naruto Uzamaki was finally out of his life. The raven haired boy kicked the corpse for good measure, and felt delight at seeing the blood as it splattered across the ground. He chuckled at first, but it soon evolved into all out madness. He kicked the body again, and again, showing no respect for his dead former friend. When Sasuke finally felt that he'd had his victory properly celebrated, he turned away and leapt off, toward the Land of Sound. Where his new life awaited, a life filled with power.

More then an hour passed, when a white haired man arrived on the scene. He fell on his knees at the sight before him. I have failed them, he thought to himself, I have failed you, Rin, Obito... The dog that arrived with him stayed silent. He had revealed the fact that he had smelled death almost five minutes before they had arrived. He knew what the man, Kakashi, was feeling right then. The dog didn't even bother to tell him that Sasuke's scent had disappeared with the rain that now fell.

Kakashi scooped up the bloody body of his dead pupil, and solemnly turned away from the waterfall. He only walked at first, but then turned to tree jumping his way back to Konoha. He knew that Sakura would be heart-broken. She had made their blond teammate promise to bring back Sasuke, at any cost. The dog had since unsummoned himself, and left his tall partner to grieve.

Days later, a small funeral had been held. Not many had attended, only the Rookie nine that remained mostly unharmed, and a few others. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen during that time. Later that night, when his body had been put to rest, a group of drunks had arrived into the cemetery, and at the foot of his grave. They had just been celebrating the boy's death. Even though, with all that Naruto had done to them and Konoha, they all still held tight on their hatred.

They came with shovels, and hammers. Needless to say, they had come to desecrate the grave of the so called, 'Demon boy'. They dug up the body, and smashed the tombstone. The next day, his body was seen on display, hanging from the Hokage monument. It was a horrid thing to behold, yet still people cheered at the sight of it. After the body had been cut down, the Hokage, Jiraya, had issued for it to be cremated, and for the ashes to be spread from the top of the Hokage monument.

* * *

~**Naruto**~

* * *

The boy watched in absolute horror at what his friend was doing to his body. "Sasuke, stop this!" He yelled, yet it was not heard. He saw the delight upon Sasuke's blood-stained face. He knew that he held no regret for what he had done. Naruto was helpless. He was forced to stand and watch as his body was kicked, and the chain that had emerged from his chest rattle. He had ignored the chain for the most part, and was mainly trying to come out of the shock that this wasn't just a horrible nightmare.

Again, he tried to get him to stop. "Please, Sasuke, I beg you, stop that!" No answer. Only after the boy was panting, and a smile stained his lips, did he finally stop. He looked up to the dark, cloudy sky, and let the rain run clear, white streaks across his bloodied face. He began to laugh, overcome with the joy he felt from what he just did. Naruto only stood, his jaw slightly agape as his one-time friend let his sanity slip from his dirty, grimy, bloodstained fingers. He felt the need to throw up, to try and relieve how sick he felt. Nothing came out, of course.

He was left there, alone, and stared at his body. He didn't even notice the robed figure walk up behind him, and slapped a hand on his shoulder. Naruto stumbled backward, and tripped on the chain that kept him near his body. "Woa, take it easy, kid." The man said. He was clothed in robes of a black fabric, and held a sword, kept in it's sheath, at his waist. The man had long, flowing, red hair, tied tight against the back of his head. "I didn't mean to startle ya'. My names Renji." He held out his hand.

Naruto looked at it, confused, but grabbed it none the less. "As I'm pretty sure you can tell, you're dead, so, I'll skip that part." The small blond glared at him. While, in past times, he could've some up with some snide, witty remark, it felt wrong. "Umm... Look, I'm a bit new to this, so... hold still." He turned the boy around, and pulled out his sword. Naruto heard the sliding of metal, yet felt unsure of what to do. The best thing, he thought, would be to at least brace himself.

While he had expected pain, he only felt a rush of energy, as Renji simply, tapped the top of his head with the bottom of the handle. Naruto vanished into smoke, and a butterfly flew out of the cloud, and toward the sky. The Soul reaper sighed, and turned as he saw a man rush out of the bushes. His gaze turned to the large statues. He stood and marveled at the sight. Clearly, this was indeed a different version of the human world, he thought. He heard the man behind him start to break down, and he sighed. "I don't need to see this..." He then simply vanished.

Not long after the foreign shinigami disappeared, the one from the realm of ninja had appeared, in all of his glory. His white, tattered cloak whipped around upon a phantom wind, and his ghostly eyes fell upon the body of the deceased Naruto. The eyes became narrow slits, as he saw that the chain, and Naruto's spirit, have already gone. "This... does not go well..." He murmured, though the blade that was clenched between his teeth. He watched the silver haired man carefully pick up the boy's body, and leave.

The shinigami sensed something behind him, a flash of chakra. He turned his head to face the monstrous man that rose from the cliffside. The arms of his black, cloud covered cloak drifted upon the real wind, as he spoke softly to himself. His face was swathed in worry, as he said. "Leader-sama is not going to be happy about this... not happy at all. What do you think we should do?" Another voice spoke, presumably from the side of his face that was covered in darkness. "I... am not sure." The shinigami had to at least smile at that. "At least Madara's plans have been foiled... I saw too much death in the future..."

Elsewhere, in a place known only as the soul society, a small blond figure stumbled out of an alleyway. He didn't know what just happened, but he knew one thing for sure, he was hungry. Really hungry, actually. What he wouldn't give, for just one bowl of ramen. He clambered to his feet, but found himself unable to properly walk. He fell back down, against the wall of the alley. He heard silence. When he looked up, he saw that the moon was out. 'Night time." He thought.

His stomach still pestered him, yet he ignored it as best he could. He leaned his head out, and looked down the cold, silent, dead street. Not a single light was on. He sighed, and leaned his head back in. It was only then that he noticed that his clothes had changed. No longer did he wear that orange jumpsuit he had come to know and love. Now, he wore clothes akin to what the civilians usually wore. Only, these seemed a tad bit cleaner.

He wasn't sure how he had lost his old clothes, but he was sure it was due to the same reason he had ended up here. Besides the hunger, he also felt tired.

He let out a yawn, and felt his body fall limp against the cold, hard ground. It wasn't particurly comfy, yet the alley would do for tonight. As his eyes fell, his mind wandered. It tried it's hardest to figure out where he had gone. He knew he was dead, the body that looked like him confirmed that, and he knew that Sasuke hadn't seen him. But, that Renji fellow did. Hmm...

Perhaps, Renji was a reaper, of some sort? So, that would make this, the afterlife? He opened his eyes, and did another once over, and let the lids fall tight again. 'Pretty shitty one, if you ask me.' As the minutes passed, his thoughts began to slow, until his mind finally fell to sleep. It wasn't long though, however, that his eyes opened wide again, and he found himself awake, and in a waist deep filled sewer. 'What the...' He thought. He recognized this place, his mindscape, but never had he seen the water level so high.

He waded slowly down the corridors of his mind, to where he knew the Kyubi slept. Something... was off. The air felt... cold. Usually, when he had been here, it felt thick with malice, and power, but today... He made a turn on memory alone, and found himself face to face with a dark, empty cage. He felt shock, 'Had the Kyubi gotten out?!' he thought, as he tried his hardest to move to the cage. He looked up, and saw the seal tag still intact. He actually walked inside of the cage, to see where the beast had gone. He saw....nothing. He was puzzled. "Where had it gone?" He asked out loud.

He turned, and saw the flooded chambers. "Did it...die as well?" He knew that this was a question that he could not answer without help, so he tried to will himself awake. Soon, he felt light touch his skin, and the sounds of people moving though a street. In a moment, his image had vanished from the mindscape, and left the realm lifeless. He had missed one thing in his search, the rusted iron door that had formed in the very back of the cage. Light escaped, as a raspy voice called out, "Naruto."

The boy shot straight up, for he was sure he had just heard something or someone call out. No matter, for he felt that hunger again. It was much stronger then last night. He needed to eat. Something......anything! He lifted his nose up in the air. A faint smell reached his nostrils. It was... bread. Fresh bread. Somewhere, in this place, there was food! He looked outside the alley, and saw people walking mindlessly by, going about their lives. They all looked like he did.....poor, however they were much more filthy the he was. Their clothes told of many years spent living out on the dirty streets of this town.

They all paid him no mind, and simply kept their eyes locked forward. To them, Naruto was simply another new soul. Newly dead souls arrived here all the time, so this was no different. Naruto tried his feet, and used the wall for support as he stood, shakily. He stumbled further out of the alley, and into the busy street. He followed his nose to where the smell came from, to where food lie in wait for his consumption. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep his stomach from letting out the smallest of grumbles.

This noise had a large effect on these people, and they all stopped and turned their heads to where he had stopped walking. Whispers were soon spreading from their mouths, about how Naruto clearly showed hunger. For some reason, this was a big deal to all of them. He paid no attention to their whispers, and stares. He had received similar treatment before. The voices soon died down, and they all continued on their way.

Soon, Naruto could see the small stand where a large man sat. In front of him, were loaves of bread. He actually blanched when he saw their price written on the front of the stand. They were, basically, very expensive. While he didn't recognize the denomination they used, he managed to figure that much out. It would seem he would be needing to go back to his old tricks. He got low, and quickly scooted himself in front of where the bread lay, and out of the shopkeeper's eye. He searched the front of him, for anything that held a reflective surface.

He spotted a puddle not too far away, and it not only told him that it rained in this place, but whether or not the man was looking up, down or sideways. He carefully watched, and waited for his gaze to be drawn elsewhere, and quickly snatched up a piece of bread. He slowly scooted away, until he was confident the man wouldn't see him, and then burst out in a full-blown run. The other residents apparently also saw this as normal, and even moved out of the way for him, as he ran, hands tightly wrapped around his prize.

He ducked into another alley, and greedily chomped down upon the bread. Even after he had eaten every crumb, he still felt hungry. But, at least his hungry was somewhat satisfied, he thought. Naruto sat there and pondered this new world, and how his life would be from now on. "Some afterlife..." He mumbled, as his stomach let out another complaint. He sat for a few more minutes, but then he stood. It would seem he would be needing to find some more food...

* * *

**~Seireite~ **

* * *

The thirteen captains had been called together under the Captain-Commander's call. He had an announcement that needed to be told in person. The old Shinigami sat peacefully, and patiently as he waited for the chamber to fill. So far, only the captains of the second, forth, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, and tenth divisions had arrived. They all stood, silent, and patient, and waited for the other captains.

They had no idea why they were here, and were expecting their answers as soon as the rest of the captains entered the room. After more then twenty minutes, the chambers had been filled. Even Jushiro, who was starting to feel unwell, had shown. Yamamoto, the Captain-Commander, looked up to see the captains lined up evenly on two sides. "I know that you are all wondering why you have been called here." The other captains turned their faces slightly, to hear him better, as he continued on.

"Recently, we have obtained a soul from a parallel dimension to our own." That alone was enough to cause gasps and whispers from the Shinigami in the room. "Silence!" The noise in the room died quickly at his voice, and allowed the old man to continue. "We took this soul in for one reason, and one reason only. He contained within his body, a powerful source of Reiryoku. We have come under some suspicion that the times ahead are going to get worse. A possible invasion from the hollows grows more and more inevitable every year. We need him, because he is powerful."

A weapon? Their commander simply wanted a weapon? "The boy's name is Naruto, and has recently appeared in the forty eighth district. Already, we have received reports that the child has obtained the hunger. I need you to make sure this boy is driven to us, and soon. You are dismissed." He didn't want the other captains to question his intentions for the boy, so he left no room for their queries. The captains slowly filed out without a second glance. Some of them were wondering just what threat was looming on the horizon, to do such a dangerous act as pulling a human soul from it's respective dimension. Others, were trying to decipher just what their leader wanted them to do. Out of all of them, only Aizen was plotting to find a way to take the boy out.

* * *

~**Years later**~

* * *

He was dreaming... again. He had this one, every night since he first arrived here... Yet, something was different about the dream this time. Something seemed... strange about the whole thing. The water that always filled the halls, was still there, but felt of death. Death, plain and simple. He trudged though deep waters of his mind, to his usual route. He heard something call out to him. The ghostly sound of a being that now dwelled where the Kyubi had once been caged.

As the boy walked along, he started to notice things. Such, as the fact that the steel pipes that lined the halls have rusted open, and spilled murky water into the halls. The lighting had also dimmed, and the few windows that had lined the walls had spiderweb cracks along them, and when he took a peak, he saw a graveyard. The tombstones numbered in the millions, and stretched far from the horizon. The clouds above were dark and gloomy, and crackled with light and let forth their own sadness for the dead below, in the form of tears.

He could finally hear the loud booms from the clouds above, and the rain that pounded against the glass. The flashes of light played tricks on his eyes, and the shadows danced, and rose from the ground. He gasped and stepped back when he could've sworn that the shadows had jumped at him. The splash from him falling into the water echoed through the halls. "Naruto..." He jumped, and peered into the darkness further down the hall, where red light had once dominated.

Carefully, using the pipes for balance, he got up from the water. He still felt dry, despite having just been sitting up to his neck in the murky water. He gulped and started to walk forward. He ignored, and did not look at the windows, but the things on the other side of the windows did not ignore him, and peered though the cracked panes of glass. Their red eyes followed his steady movement, yet did not do anything more then watch.

He tried to ignore it, but he could feel their gazes upon his small frame, and suffered a ghostly chill down his spine. He shook a little, and his eyes slowly trailed to the barred glass. Nothing. He stopped, and looked more closely. He only saw the graveyard outside. Hesitantly, he turned and peered into the other windows. They too, heralded nothing but the graveyard outside. He shook his head, and trudged on.

After one last turn, he faced the large cage. His mouth hung agape at it's current state. The great iron gates that had at one point held back the massive nine-tailed beast, was now covered in rust. In some places, the bars have even broken and lay just below the water. The flimsy seal that had once acted as a lock, had partially dissolved from all of the moisture. Naruto could still make at the bits of ink that read 'seal'. "Naruto..."

His eyes shot toward the darkness beyond the cave, and he spotted something... a door. He carefully, climbed though the cage and to where the thick, rusted iron door lay ajar. He pushed it open more, and found that the water from the cage ran down a small stream, to what looked to be a rather large river. He gaped at the size of it, and at the graves that lined it's banks. He saw no writing upon the stones, but they still seemed to hold death beneath them in the ground.

The boy walked more into the gigantic graveyard, and let the iron door stay open. The rain splashed against his face, and finally felt moisture upon him. The cold droplets slithered down his arms, and dripped to the ground. "Naruto." The voice was ghostly and distant, yet at the same time felt close by... He turned, and met an image of fear.

It was Death.

The man was covered in black, wet rags, that showed him to have a very bony frame, and the hood hid his face from view. His hands and arms were wrapped in a dark cloth, and further emphasized the fact that he was very bony. A set of black gloves, further covered his hands. In one, was a scythe composed of a twisted, dead wooden handle, with a large, rusted blade at it's top. Runes were burnt into the metal, and gave the thing a sense of power. Oh yeah, this was definitely Death.

The spectre reached out to Naruto with his other hand, and called out once more in his ghostly, distant voice, "Naruto." Suddenly, the image of the graveyard and of Death cracked, before the blond and tumbled away. His eyes shot upon wide, to reveal that it was still night time. He slowly sat up, and looked around him.

He was still in the alley he had slept in the night before. Empty barrels and crates lined the wall. He heard a noise, and it took him but a second to realize that it was his stomach. He was... more hungry then he usually was. Carefully, he rummaged though the cloth bag he had found last year, and searched for the rest of his food... empty.

As he let the crumbs fall out of the bag, he felt the hunger wash upon him. The bag fell from his hands, and he doubled over, clutching his stomach hard. "I need... food..." He heard steps enter the alley, and he looked up to see a tall man wearing a black uniform. A shinigami. He held something out to him, and took him a moment to understand what he was doing. The man.....he was offering him food.

Greedily, Naruto latched onto the rice-ball, and munched it down. "A bit hungry, are we now?" Naruto wiped the bits of food upon his face off with his hand, and then he turned to the man and nodded. The man smiled and kneeled down, offering a hand. The light gave a glimpse at his face, and revealed the same red-haired man that had taken him here all those years ago. Although, now he was sporting a tattoo on his forehead.

"Naruto, I'd like you to come with me somewhere, to the Shino Academy." Naruto's eyes widened. He had heard about that place, but he never thought to go there himself. He didn't think he'd fit in. But how could he turn down this man? A shinigami? He couldn't. The blond smiled, and took Renji's hand, and let himself be pulled up. Renji smiled, and led the boy though the streets to where the academy lay.

"I'll help you to get in, that exam can be tricky..." Apparently, the red-haired man's help meant threatening the man to let Naruto in. He agreed to let him in without the written test, but still demanded that Naruto at least show he could use reiryoku. Renji whispered something into Naruto's ear, some advice on how to pull it off. The proctor stood with his arms folded, and a scowl upon his face. "Well, come on then!"

Naruto took Renji's advice, and tried to let off his spirit energy. He stood there for more then a minute, but nothing happened. The proctor scoffed, "It's pretty obvious that he can't do shit. Get him, and your sword out of here, Renji." The red-head glared at the man, and growled out, "Just give him one more chance." The proctor returned the glare in kind, but broke off first. "Fine. One more chance. If nothing happens, I never want to see either of you again."

"Come on, Naruto, you can do this..." Naruto tried the method again, yet he was getting nowhere fast. The proctor smiled, and was about to fail Naruto, when the boy suddenly tried doing the same thing he did when he was first learning to use chakra. His hands fell into a symbol, and he began to search deep inside of him for a pool of energy. Finally, he found it. He grabbed hold of that power, and dragged it out. The two men stepped back at the sudden burst of Reiatsu. It came out as cold and dead, and was clearly seen as being black in color. The proctor gaped.

He had never seen so much power, from one so young. "Naruto!" Renji called. The sudden voice caused Naruto to lose concentration, and the energy dissipated into the air. Naruto breathed hard, and asked Renji between one of his gasps for breath. "Did I...do good?" A smile appeared on Renji's face, and he said to Naruto, "You did very good...Right?" He looked at the proctor, as he said that last part, and held up his blade for emphasis. The proctor nodded very quickly. "Uhm yea, he's in..." It was Naruto's turn to smile. He was able to become a shinigami, and help others like Renji did. More importantly though, he'd finally get some food

* * *

**Chapter one, end.**

* * *

**(A/N)**

**I hope you've all enjoyed the first chaper of The Reaper's Power. Now, I've found someone willing to corect my stories and fix my errors, so things such as grammar and spelling should be fixed, but, if you spot a mistake of some sort, do not hesitate to tell me! The Next chapter will be ariving along with the next chapter of STBU(Strings That Bind Us). Until then, please review! **_~Malsyn_


	2. Student, and Teacher

**Hey Freinds! Sorry it took so long, my beta was a bit busy and she didn't have time to fix up my mistakes. In any case, here is the second part! Oh, and please, Read and Review. **...'Windows XP Sounds' by various youtube people

* * *

**Disclaimer: I Do not, and shall never own Naruto nor Bleach**

* * *

**The Reaper's power**

** Student, and Teacher

* * *

**

**~ Shino Institute for the Spiritual Art~

* * *

**

The Spiritual Arts Academy, or simply the Shino Academy, was a vast complex, composed of a great many number of buildings. Filled with a grand total of over one hundred class rooms, and well over a thousand dorm rooms, it is the educational center that almost all up and coming Shinigami must attend. In order for one to be admitted, they must pass a written exam, and prove that they have a usable amount of spiritual energy. Although, there are always exceptions to this rule. Naruto was one of them.

The student walked though one of the larger halls on his way to the dormitory area, to where his home for the next six years, or less, would be. He was still in his civilian garb, but he would be sure to change into the clothes he held in his hands once he reached his room. On his way, he caught the eyes of many of the passing students. All of them, were visibly older then he. Looks of mild confusion and surprise watched the young, and dead, blond boy as he passed them.

While the Academy accepts people of all ages, more often than not they received people who looked to be in their twenties, by human comparison. It was rare that they received a simple teenager that had any sort of a strong spiritual presence, and much less a young boy like Naruto. He had only recently had his twelfth birthday when he had died, and despite the time he spent here dead, he had barely aged.

Naruto wasn't entirely sure what to make of their looks, so he continued on his way, not stopping for anything. On his way, he passed though an open hallway, one that gave a clear view of a training ground where students were learning the way of the Zanpakuto. He stopped a moment, and watched as they all move in a graceful unison, under the direction of a man that towered over his students. Despite his immense size, he carried a small sword on the sash around his waist. It looked to be a rapier, though Naruto would not have known what a rapier was.

His eyes scrutinized over the movements of his students, and more then once had to correct one of them on their technique. The man wore an outfit similar to Renji's, and other Soul Reapers, likely signifying the fact he was a teacher, and not a student or a practicing Shinigami. Naruto had no idea of how long he had stood there, leaning over the railing while he watched them practice, but it lasted long enough for the man to announce the class to have finished. He bowed to his students, as they did in return, then they left.

The teacher stood, waiting for his next students, when he noticed Naruto's eyes upon him. He turned, and beckoned the boy over. While Naruto felt embarrassment for having been caught, he came over anyway, still holding his new uniform in his hands. "So, are you our newest student here?" He asked. Naruto nodded to him. "Uh huh, my name's Naruto, and I'm gonna become the best Shinigami ever!" He pumped his fist back for emphasis, but dropped his clothes when he did so.

The other man was quick to react, and plucked the uniform from the air before they even barely left the clumsy boy's hands. "Well, then, on behalf of all the teachers here, I'd like to welcome you to the Shino Academy. I am the chief swordsmanship instructor, Ryuunosuke, but all my students call me Ryuu for short." He held out his hand to the boy, who stared at it like he had done to Renji's. 'Everyone here is so...nice.' He thought to himself. Naruto smiled wide, then gripped the man's hand. "Thank you... Ryuu." The teacher smiled.

A thought came to Naruto, and he voiced it once he had let go of Ryuu's hand. "Hey, I thought class started next week, why are you holding classes now?" He turned his head slightly, out of habit from when he asked questions before at the Shinobi Academy. Ryuu smirked, and crossed his arms. "I'm holding classes, because they truly want to become Shinigami, and be the best they could be. This will also help give them a head start, before the new year begins. Perhaps, you'd like to come by tomorrow"

Naruto frowned, and looked at the swords on the waists of Ryuu's newest class, who were just now arriving. "But... I don't have a Zanapakato though..." Ryuu chuckled deeply, at the boy's mispronunciation of the Shinigami's most trusted tool. "Zanpakuto, is what you mean, Naruto. You used way to many A's." Naruto blushed from his embarrassment, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "R-right. Still, I don't have one of those things yet, how would I practice without one"

Ryuu laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, new students aren't required to have their own actual Zanpakuto just yet. You get to use one of the weapons we use to practice with, from over there." He pointed at a small stand, that held a bunch of plain katanas, all waiting for their next user. "Now, if you get dressed in some proper clothes and come by later, I can teach you some basics." Naruto nodded fiercely, and ran off in the general direction of the dorms. When Naruto had turned, Ryuu frowned. 'I can't believe... that he's supposed to be a weapon... he's just so... innocent.' He sighed, and put on a smile and turned to face his newest students.

Naruto slowed down after a moment of running though the halls, which were surprisingly scarce with students. He stopped, and panted. "I think... I'm gonna need to get back into shape... Ha... Ha..." He sucked in a deep breath, then stood straight back up, and started to walk rather then run, to the dorms. Over the past few years as a civilian, he hadn't been nearly as active as he had before. Most of his time was, A...looking for food, and B...trying to sleep. He hadn't slept very well for awhile, on account of those nightmares. He shivered at the memory of his most recent one, the one with Death reaching out to him.

He shook his head, he'd much rather not have to think about it. He sighed, and continued on, having to only ask for directions once, before he reached the dormitories. He walked up a set of stairs, that led to the male dorms, then waded his way though a crowd of students, who were excited about their first year here. Apparently, most of them had to share, due to this years large number of applicants. As he walked by, he could have sworn he saw an old man standing in their midst, also talking about how his first year would go. Naruto shook his head. 'They did say that people from all ages came here'

Shortly afterward, he reached his room. Dorm room number 666. "...You're kidding me?" He looked down at the paper, then back up at the small metal plate on the front of the door that held it's number. He couldn't believe how he hadn't noticed the number for his room. Grumbling, he took out a key from the folds of uniform in his hands, and carefully unlocked the room. Immediately, he was overcome with the smell of must, and was forced to shield his mouth from breathing in the dust from inside. The room wasn't used very often, apparently.

He walked in, and flipped the switch, happy to see that it worked, then walked further in. Inside, was a bed, with a window next to it, a small table with a chair tucked in, and a dresser. No bathroom. It would seem that he either got the short end of the stick here, or they simply just didn't put bathrooms in the dorm rooms. Regardless, he closed the door behind him, and began to change into the uniform given to him. While at the door, he took pause, and decided to explore his room a little.

As expected, must of the room was quite dusty, even the so-called clean uniforms in the dresser. While he knew that this was simply from disuse, because people must have held some superstition for this dorm, he couldn't help but feel a bit of anger, at the same time he recalled the memory of him receiving his first and last, home away from the orphanage. He had been so excited at the idea of him living on his own, but was given the most broken down room of an old apartment building, which had been in severe disrepair. Even the old man had it out for him.

He felt the sting of tears in his eyes, and wiped furiously at them with the sleeve of his clean uniform. He dropped to the floor, and did something he had at one point sworn to never do, but had done so only a few months prior to his death, on his first C-rank mission. He cried. Finally feeling the realization of his having died at the hands of his best friend. He didn't leave the room for a few hours, until he was absolutely sure that his eyes had expelled all of his tears.

He got up on the bed, and looked out the window. The position of the sun above told him of it nearing noon. He had missed his chance at a breakfast, and that led to his stomach complaining. At least, he'd be getting lunch, he thought. With a sigh, he turned back to the window, and ended up looking at his own reflection in the glass pane. His eyes were red, and puffy. Maybe he should stay in today.

He sighed, and lay down on his bed, trying his best to block out the sun, so that he could earn some much needed sleep. Faster then normally, he felt his mind blacken, as his thoughts blurred and drifted away, all this happening to signify the fact that he had finally, fallen asleep. And of course, no sooner had his eyes closed, that they opened. A drip was heard, and the sound of thunder seemed to rock the broken windows, while water seeped through them as well.

He was back. Naruto stood still, and silent, hoping with all his might that he would waken, and end the nightmare before it began. No such luck for him, as the sounds of a terrible storm leaked though the panes of barred glass. With reluctant feet, he moved slowly though the corridors, feeling the eyes of the dead upon his back. He shivered, and walked faster. It took him awhile to notice, but the water levels have dropped drastically. It only reached to above his ankles, instead of the waist deep waters from last night.

His feet made small splashes as he walked, and he never looked back behind him, for fear that those things would still be there, staring at him with cold eyes. "Naruto..." The sudden voice made him jump, and he stopped walking to listen closer. "Come to me... Naruto..." It came from all around him, and at the same time, from further down the corridor, to where the empty cage lay.

Naruto climbed over the thick, rusted bars that had fallen to the ground, and made his way to the iron door that stood open, with water still flowing out and down the hill that this building sat on, to the large gushing river below. He slipped through with ease, it having laid open exactly how he had left it yesterday, and waited for the image of Death to appear.

He heard a slosh of wet fabric, and turned his head to meet the skeletal man. He gasped, as he saw not what he had seen the night before. While the man was still in wet rags and held a large scythe in his hand, his bones now had flesh upon them. He stood as tall as the skeleton did yesterday, a little over six feet, with his skin deathly pale. His eyes were sunken, and gray, with a wet mop of black hair on his head. His lips were purple, a clear sign that he wasn't truly alive. The veins in his neck did not pulse with his blood, but lay still. His body was dead, just as it was before. Only, it looked much less scary.

"Naruto, You've come back." His voice was raspy, and he spoke without true emotion, while his lips stayed in a frown. "I had thought that you left for good. Does this form... look better then the one I held yesterday?" All Naruto could do was nod dumbly. "That's good. It was not my intention to scare you, but to simply talk." Naruto stared at the emotionless man, before finally willing his courage to speak. "Who are you"

The man cocked his head ever so slightly, and spoke in the same amount of emotion as before. "I thought you knew, Naruto, that I was Death." Naruto gulped, and found it difficult to speak. "D-Death? You're actually Death?" He looked at the boy with impassiveness. "The one and only. Well, at least the only one of this realm." Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion. "What do you mean in this realm? What are you talking about?" he asked.

Death blinked, slowly, as if he had never done so before, and said, "Did you not know, Naruto? That this is not your actual home? When you died, you should've gone to a your realm's afterlife, not ours. Your soul does not belong here, yet I fear that it can not go back." "I'm... not supposed to be here? Then, where am I?" Death's expression didn't change, as he pulled a chair from behind his back. He set it in front of him, facing him. "Please sit down, Naruto. I would much rather you not stand. You seem to find it uncomfortable, and I'd much rather you be as comfortable as you can be"

Naruto looked at the chair for a moment, then slowly inched his way over, then into it. It was comfy, despite being made of stone. "Why are you doing this? Why am I here?" Death seemed to have no problem with answering Naruto's many questions, and went ahead and did so. "First of all, Naruto, I'm doing this because for some reason, I am the spirit of your Zanpakuto. Secondly, I have no answer. You may have come here by accident, but I doubt this." He paused, and let the blond take in the information. "Also, you asked where you were. Currently, we are in your inner-world, but outwardly, your body is in a realm called the Soul Society, a place I myself helped create for the souls I had reaped"

He blinked again, still unused to the action, and turned to the river below. "I am also the first of the Soul Reapers, Naruto. The first to bring the dead to their paradise, their heaven. I am not sure of how or why, but some time ago, my soul died a true death, and I was replaced by other souls, and them by others, and so on. I... am not sure why my soul had not been reincarnated into a new human, but I ended up as a true spirit. Naruto I will not tell you more about myself at this time. Do you have any questions that need my answers"

Naruto sat still, wrapping his mind around the information being fed to him, before he felt ready to receive more answers. "Yea, what happened to the Kyubi, and what is that thing down there?" He pointed to the river, and Death gazed at it, blinking again. "Kyubi has died, and his soul was given back to your realm, but his strength remained behind. His spiritual energy, Naruto, is now yours. That river, is your strength, and mine. It is our spiritual energy given form in your mind"

Naruto nodded, somehow understanding. Naruto was about to ask something else, but Death raised his hand up to issue silence. A dull sound echoed through the gigantic graveyard, something like...knocking. "Naruto, I believe somebody wishes to see you. Please, do not yet tell anyone of our contact, and if you wish to say you have met your Zanpakuto's spirit, do not describe me. Goodbye for now." Cracks appeared in Naruto's vision, before they fell apart to reveal the blackness of the back of his eyelids.

He heard an impatient knocking sound, and yawned as he slid his feet over the side of the bed. "I'm up I'm up..." Naruto mumbled, as he groggily walked to the doors, then opened. Before stood someone shorter then he, a boy with snow white hair. His fist was up in mid-knock. "Finally. I've been here for an hour. Here, this is for you. Congratulations on making it to Class number one, I'll see you Monday." The boy shoved a letter into Naruto's hands, and very briefly, Naruto made contact with his skin. It was cold, very cold. Like ice, perhaps.

The other student walked back down the hall, and left Naruto standing in the doorway. The blond boy walked back in, and closed the door behind him. Tossing the letter on the desk, he yawned yet again, and made to get dressed in different clothes. When he did so, he saw the sun just starting to come up. He didn't think he had been asleep for that long, but then again, time seems to move differently inside his mind.

After he got the clothes on, he hesitated at the door and instead looked to the small letter on his table. He thought about just leaving to the cafeteria so he could get some breakfast, and explore the grounds and find all his classes, but, the letter might be important. What was it that the kid said, something about a number one class? He let his hand fall from the knob, and shuffled back over to his desk, and sat down.

Opening it, he found it specifically handwritten and addressed to him. "Dear Naruto, I am happy to welcome you to the blah blah blah, hmm... let's skip down a bit." Skipping over the man's long congratulation and reasons for why he was in the class, he went all the way to the bottom, and found nothing of real value. The only things that stood out, was instructions to the class from the dormitories, along with the man's signature, Gengoro Onabara. "Meh." Naruto tossed the letter further back along his desk, then left the room, locking it behind him.

* * *

**~One week later~**

* * *

His sandals hit the tiled floor, as he made his way though the crowd of students on their own ways to class. Breakfast was over, and the first day of the Academy had officially begun. Most of them, the new students, were going about with excitement on their faces, even that old guy looked happy to be here. But, Naruto knew, that their enthusiasm would die away soon enough, perhaps after a few weeks of being here.

Many, like Naruto, were glancing down at their schedules for the year, in order to know just where they needed to be. Naruto read over his, his smile faltering when he read the his third class for the day. In order from first to sixth, Naruto had 'Human and Shinigami History,' a class that likely focused on the history of Earth and the Soul Society, 'Zanjutsu,' 'Mathematics,' 'Calligraphy,' 'Kido,' and somehow, he had some sort of weird science class.

He noticed that most of the classes were being taught by Gengoro, except for Calligraphy and Combat training. Sighing at this luck, he made his way quickly to class. When he got there, he noticed that everyone was in a seat of some sort, and staying absolutely silent. He wasn't sure why, but he felt glad that the old guy wasn't in his class. Silently, or as silently as Naruto could, he made his way to a desk, one much like the desks in Konoha's academy, and sat next to the white haired kid from last week.

"So... What was your name, I never got it." He whispered this to the boy, trying to keep as quiet as all the others. The boy's eye twitched, and he turned his head slowly, to meet Naruto. For some reason, it got really cold. "Toshiro, now hush. Gengoro-sensei will be here soon, and I hear he doesn't like people-" He was abruptly cut off from his whisper, when a large man slammed his hands on the desk Naruto and Toshiro sat. "You will keep silent in my class, Hitsugaya"

Naruto and Toshiro seemed to shrink at his stare, before he walked back to the front of the class. 'How did he... I didn't even hear him!' Naruto thought, staring at him in amazement. The two boys kept completely silent though his orientation, and how they were all lucky to be in his class and how he held high expectations from his students for the next six years.

It lasted for almost an hour, and it seemed he had timed his speech perfectly, for as soon as he finished, the bell rang, signaling their need to get a move on to the next class. "So um... sorry?" Naruto spoke to the boy, who had been glaring at him for most of the speech, due to having gotten him in trouble. "...Whatever." He said, and picked up his things and left, as did Naruto.

Toshiro took another route, likely to a different class then he, while Naruto walked to the training grounds. He had been happy to see Ryuu as his instructor, and the period went without incident, as did his next. Calligraphy, however, was a bit different. Aizen, the captain of the -- division, was that classes instructor. Naruto was surprised at the number of students, and actually had to stand up due to a lack of seating.

As soon as Aizen's eyes were laid on him, the normally smiling man's demeanor changed entirely. His eyes narrowed at the boy, and a frown evident. 'What is HE doing here? I thought I had gotten rid of him...' A few weeks ago, Aizen had sent one of the Shinigami he had managed to turn to his side to attack Naruto. He hadn't heard from him since that attack, and neither did he hear of Naruto. He figured the man was simply captured shortly after having killed the boy, but now it seemed those were foolish beliefs, and he knew it.

Noticing the odd looks he was getting, and the whispers going about, he hid his feelings and thoughts with the normal mask he wore, and greeted his new students. Despite having looked completely fine, perhaps even happy to have so many students, he was raging inside at the fact an obstacle still lay in his way. Although, he wouldn't be able to perform an assassination while still in the Academy, it had to be somewhere else... Wait, in a few years, practice teams will be sent out from this class, he could get his Hollows to attack then.

Aizen smiled, a genuine one, not a fake one. Though, nobody noticed. He had a plan ready, and all he would have to do is wait, and be patient. The Soul Society would still be there in a few years, and his Hollows weren't going to get weaker. In fact, just the opposite was true. Every year, their numbers grew. 'Soon,' He thought, 'I'll finally get to destroy this place'

The next classes were incident free as well, though he didn't like the look of the science teacher that was there. He knew, that these years would be long, but would lead to a much better life then the one he had on the streets. And, as those years went by, he would show himself to be a genius when it came to the ways of the Shinigami.

* * *

**~ Chapter End **~

* * *

**(A/N)**

**Not much in the way of progresion, but don't you wrooy, will be skipping a head a few years in the next chap. Plus, we're going to have our first figght with Naruto as a shinigami! If you read carefully, you may have forseen what conflict is comming up... In any case, I'll see you all next week! Chao! **_~Malsyn_**  
**


End file.
